Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-04
MONTANA BEAVERS.
YELLOWSTONE PARK THE ANIMAL s.
REFUGE FROM TRAPPERS.

Some Rare Specimens Captured-Pclts Of
Sagacious Little AnimaIs--Origin of
"Beaver Lake.
"All signs fail in dry weather, but when
the beaver builds bis cache high then look
out for Billiards and blasts" So say s n vet
eran cow puncher, who in the early days
made his living by trapping beavers in Mon
tana, and all admit that the veteran knows
what he Is talking about. Late last fall the
beavers up this way began building high, and
sure enough the weather turned out cold, for
weeks blizzard is not done blowing yet, and
the snow is all the way from two to three feet
deep on level
There can be no question that this Y hoie
northwestern belt was many years aGn 4
great resort OF beavers. for tlere ara cri-
dcnces still eft of thousands upon thousands
of homes. each of which must have contained
at aome time one complete family. The carly
French traders and Hudson Bay trGppers
considered this favorite hunting ground for
ell sorts cf fur bearing animals, for nearly all
tho Indian triba1 in this latitude have tratli-
tioEs, OF unwrttel history, wherein they
bartered peits and furs with tho 1pslefaces
who cane down from the north" "
SOME RARE SPECIMEN
There are moro beaver now in Montana
than anywhere else in the United States. The
variety, too, is greater here, for the writer
hes seen three distinct specimens, all of which
| were trapped within 100 miles of this point
Besides the ordinary beaver Piegan Indian
killed not long ago on the Upper Marias river
| a female beaver, ard upon Investigating her
| home found four young ones IN tho cache,
two Of which were white and two black. The
albino pair were smaller than the dark ones,
| but they were indeed rarity, aud most
| beautiful objects to behold Another rarity
/ in the beaver line was found over on Milk
river about two years ago. refer TO the
golden beaver, who possesses, believe, the
choicest and rarest of furs Although there
must have been a family to which this speci-
men belonged, vet only one was captured.
The Grow Indians have number of bright,
rasty beaver skins, which they say were
captured on their reservation at the head of
the Big Horn river They describe the fur
when on the animal as possessing most
beautiful sunshiny appearance, which leaves
| no question in my mind but that the Crows
captured the pelts in question from the true
golden beaver. | have never heard of the
species being caught outside of Siberia, but
here we certainly have them in Montana
The greatest resort of beavers in the north
west is the head waters of the Yellowstone
river, its tributaries and the Yellowstone
National park. Beaver lake, in the park, is g
wonderful spot. The complicated system OF
dams built by the sagacious and industrious
little animal Is not equaled on earth by tht
finest of engineering work. They are hare
workers, and use Judgment in choosing {
place to build and live, and they make tht
dams with such patience and skill that ter
rent which would tear away the stronges
and best constructed by man simply sweep
over them without effect. and really leave
them stronger than before, for instead o
weakening the structure, the reservoir i
flied with debris. which is, in fact, Just wha
the beavers want. In choosing q place t.
hvc, Beaver lake will show the good sense 0
these Ittlednimals